Cardiac Diseases‎ in Pakistan

Pakistani population has one of the highest risks of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the world. In Pakistan, 30 to 40 per cent of all deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The CHD deaths in Pakistan has reached about 200,000 per year that is 410/100,000 of the population.

Children are vulnerable too; the risk for CVDs can begin before birth during fatal development, and increase further during childhood with exposure to unhealthy diets, lack of exercise and smoking.

The major risk factors are tobacco use, alcohol use, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, physical inactivity, stress and unhealthy diet. “The more risk factors you have the greater is the likelihood that you will suffer heart disease, unless you take action to modify your risk factors and work to prevent them compromising your health.

Fact Sheet:

33% of Pakistani population above the age of 45 has hypertension

Prevalence of hypertension is 19% in people of age 15 or above

Pakistan ranks at number six in terms of number of people with diabetes worldwide.

Diabetic patients will rise to 13.9 million by 2020, leading Pakistan to 4th most populous country .

25% of patients over the age of 45 years suffer Diabetes Mellitus.

Prevalence of smoking has been reported to be 14-21% in adolescents and adults, being more common in men .

The estimated annual incidences of stroke in Pakistan are 250/100,000, translating to 350,000 new cases every year .